The Nobler Life
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
The Book of Esther
The Book of Esther
As a stand-alone book, Esther could be a best seller.
The story of the beautiful girl that went,
From being an orphan to riches.
From living as an exile to the Palace.
From obscurity to the Princess of an Empire.
From danger to victory, with her enemies crushed under her feet.
Esther is a book where we could read at the end, “and they lived happily..”.
There is even the 2 day feast of Purim to celebrate the story told in the Book of Esther.
Yet, it could have been so very different for Esther and her family!
Esther was brought to a crisis in her life, through no fault of her own, where she had to decide whether to step forward, and let consequences be what they may, or shrink back from her duty.
The Nobler Life
The Nobler Life
That is what I want to talk about today.
About how God uses crises in our life to try and move us forward and letting the consequences be what they may.
It is not easy.
It goes against human nature.
A life, out of my control, yet God controlled.
A life, characterised by moving forward, and not shrinking back.
A life, where I allow the Lord to bring me to maturity in Christ.
A life where the crisis, in me, or in others, can be used by the Lord for good of the Gospel.
Esther faced it and was heroic, eventuall.
We all will face such times In our life.
They are times that mold us and others.
For God or for not.
They are times that determine our usefulness in service to God and our legacy.
It is about today. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Yesterday is been and gone.
Planted and Watered by the Lord
Planted and Watered by the Lord
It starts by agreeing it is not by accident that God has planted you where you are today.
Planted and watered where I am today.
With the people I am with.
In the job I am in.
In the school I attend.
With the Family God has placed me within.
Or not.
In the Church I belong.
In this country
At this time.
None of it is by accident.
The book of Esther does not mention God’s name once, but His hands are all over it.
Esther
Esther
Esther would have been born in exile.
Her ancestors where part of the Babylonian exile from Judah.
She is orphaned and comes under the care of Mordecia.
Another hero of faith.
She lives in
I am in the victory procession of Christ
I am in the victory procession of Christ
The Rollercoaster of life in movie around Thanksgiving table.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
If we are in Christ, we are in a victory procession of Christ’s triumphs, not defeat!
Who’s victory? Why, Christ’s victory.
We are here to be the fragrance of that, to all around us.
If all we do is harp on about how bad things are, may I suggest we are giving of the wrong fragrance.
Maintain that view when things are tough, and messy, and difficult, and uncertain.
When God is asking you to go higher with Him, and you feel totally scared of what it will mean.
Is the highest viewpoint of Jesus triumph being worked out practically in al my life?
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?